Method and apparatus for telegraphically transmitting colored moving pictures or scenes



June 11, 1935. A. A. AHRONHEIM 2,004,360

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TELEGRAPHICALLY TRANSMITTING COLORED MOVING PICTURES OR SCENES Original Filed Aug. 7,1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INYENTUR GLQ. WITNESS BY I v 09mm 1v ATI'D'RNEYE June 11, 1935. A, AHRONHEIM 2,004,360

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TELEGRAPHICALLY TRANSMITTING COLOREDMOVING PICTURES OR SCENES Original Filed Aug. 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I mmmm T 6 I 9 INVENTDR 42. a. WITNESS .BT

AI-ruRNEYs application, Serial No.473

Patented June 11,1935

"*1UNITEDQSTATES' METHOD AND APP GRAPHICALLY. TRANSMITTING MOVING PICTURES 0a SCENES ARA'rusJ Fort TELE- COLORED Albert Alexander 'Ahronheim, Jackson, Mich.,

signor of one-half to Mafih; L

William Sparks, Jackson,

Original application August 7, 1930, Serial No.

473,661. Divided and this application February 17,1932, Serial No. 593,519

3 Clai nsQ This invention relates to the method ratus for telegraphicall'y transmitting colored moving pictures or scenes with sound accompanying the same, and is a division of my copending The main object of thisinvention is to provide a method and apparatus for the simultaneous electrical transmission of sound and scene either by wire or wireless.

A'further object of this invention isto provide a method and apparatus for the transmission of scene accompanied by sound, in which the scene is transmitted in-its natural color.

Other objects and advantages relate to these tails of the apparatus and to thearr'ang'ement and relation of the various parts thereof all as will more fully appear from the following description,-

taken in connection with the accompanying draw Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of the transmitting apparatus of my inventio Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a modified form of transmitting equipment adapted for the transmission of sound moving pictures; v Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the transmitting apparatusl Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the receiv ing apparatus.

Figures -5, 6 and 7 relate to apparatus used connection with the above for the simultaneous,

transmission of sound and scene. r a -In Figure 1, a source oflight 36 is provided to illuminate a moving picture 'or'scene 31 which is to be transmitted with accompanying sound. A

lens system as collectsthe. light raysfrom'the scene and directs thesame onto a revolving Nipkow' disk 4| driven by motor 42 suitable scanning device.

From scanning disk 4|, the light rays pass to the transmitter proper, diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 3 and which maybe housed in casing 40. A lens system collects the lightrays from scanning disk 4| and directs the same onto a prism 5| which decomposes them into their respective spectrums.

Agroup' of radially arranged photo-electric cells 52 are so positioned to receive the various spectral bands produced by prism 5|. electric cells 52 are connected by wires 53 to an equal number of relays 54 which, in turn, are connected by wires 20 to contacts 2| of a contact disk 55. i

A contact arm 56 driven by motor 51 successively connects contacts 2| through wire 22 to an and appa- ,661, filed August 7th;

or onto any other Photo- (Cl. rig-6);...

of amplifier 58 may also be fed directly into a wire line and transmitted to the receiving station to be hereinafter more fully described Photo-electric cells 52 are made responsive to the bands ina white'spectrum and correspondingly arranged in that order. They are also constructedso thatwhen actuated by theirlr'espem tive spectral colors, they will fluctuate between a minimum and maximum valueoi' their electrithe maximum value of; within small limits .of' the same value. These current impulses} may then be transmitted. to relays 54 which arenormally open, but close upon receivingthe impulses, whereupon'the same are transmitted'to" contact'disk 55. l

-Con'tact, armf56 successively makes contact between relays 54 and amplifier 58 to conduct the respective current impulses representing the picture; or, scene to be transmitted; Sound ac companying' the scene is picked up by'microphone 39 and converted into electrical pulsations which are conducted v by wire to amplifier 58. Y

transmission of sound andscene recorded upon a sound *moving picture film. Film 44 having 59 through contact disk,

Figure 2 an apparatusis shown for the 15" cal conductivity to produce impulses of current;

which will always; be

sound and picture recordsthereon is fed through a kinematic projectionfapparatus tt. The picture portion may be projected upon a Nipkow disk ll driven'bymotortt or anyother suitable then proceed to the transmitting apparatus, as 'shown in Figure 3, in a manner previously described; A well-known sound reproducing device 45 sisting of a sound lamp and photo-electric cell caused toconvert the sound record on the into electrical variations which are conductedto amplifier .58 through, contact disk 55 by wires 59 in asimilar manner, as previously described. The receiving apparatus comprises, as shown in Figure 4, a receiving antenna 63 connected to a receiving set 64 grounded at 65. The output of receiving set 64 may be strengthened by an amplifier 66 connected by wire 24 to contact arm 68 of contact disk 61. Contacts 25 are connected by wires H to Kerr-cells 12 covered with colored may glass plates corresponding to the color bands of a white spectrum.

Kerr cells "it may have a common return circuit through wire 26 connected with amplifier it. An are light or other suitable sourcev of illumination it, is directed. onto Kerr cells l2 which, upon receiving the electrical impulses through the contact disk 51 from amplifier 66, will allow light to pass through the colored plates which maybe collected by lens '13 and directed to a suitable scanning device as Nipkow disk Hi. The scanned scene may then be directed through lens 2? onto a viewing screen 15. Contact arm '58 is driven by motor 69 in synchronism with contact arm 56 of the sending apparatus. Disk i lis also driven as by electric-motor 28 in synchronism with disk- M of the'sending apparatus. v I

The electrical impulses corresponding to the accompanying sound are converted by loud speaker 16 which is connected by wire 29 to contact disk 57 and by wire 3% to amplifier Gil into the original sound. Thus it is seen that electrical 'i npulses corresponding to definite color bands produced by photo cells 62 with the accompanying sound may be successively transmittedby either wire or wireless.

' The receiving apparatus receives these e1ectrical impulses which, by means or" the contact arrangement, successively energize Kerr cells '72 to allow light rays from light source id to pass through corresponding color plates. The coloredlightthus produced in proper sequence is then scanned to reproduce the scene being trans mitted-in its original colors.

The accompanying sound transmitted in the form or electrical impulses will be faithfully reproduced through the synchronous contact system. A modified method of transmitting the accompanying sound may be, used, as shown in connection with Figures 5, 6 and '7. The scene to be transmitted may be directed onto a screen I having at one corner thereof a translucent portion 2, in this instance, shown in the form of a square. In back of portion 2 and enclosed in a suitable casing may be placed a source of light 3 adapted to be modulated by a microphone 4 in circuit therewith and including a battery 8.

Microphone 4 converts the accompanying sound into electrical variations which, in turn, modulate light 3 to produce corresponding light fluctuations which are visible from the front side of the screen I and may be transmitted simultaneously with the scene in the manner previous described.

[it the receiving station, the viewing screen I.

is also provided with a square portion 5 of either a transparent or translucent nature in back of which may be located a ph0to-electric cell connected'in circuit with battery 9 and a sound reproducer or loud speaker 6.

A fluctuating light spot produced by light 3 will be transmitted simultaneously with the scene and received as 'such on portion 5 of screen I, whereupon the photo-electric device in back of portion 5 converts the fluctuating light spot into the likeness of the original sound.

Although I have shown and described specific apparatus for the transmission of colored moving pictures or scenes with accompanying sound, it is to be understood that the same was merely for the purpose of illustration, and that many changes may be made in the apparatus and the arrangement thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for simultaneously transmitting colored moving pictures or scenes and sound accompanying the same comprising means for scanning the picture or scene to be transmitted, means ior decomposing the scanning rays thus produced into their spectrum, a group of photoelectric cells adapted to receive the bands of said spectrum to produce current impulses,.an equal number of current relays in circuit with said photo-electric cells, a contact disk having a contact connected with each of said relays, a synchronously revoluble contact arm,.a microphone in circuit with said contact disk for converting the accompanying sound into current im-: pulses, and means including said contact disk and said arm for successively transmitting said picture and said sound current impulses.

2. An apparatus for simultaneously transmitting colored moving pictures or scenes and sound accompanying the same comprising means for scanning the picture or scene to be transmitted, means for decomposing the scanning rays thus produced into their spectrum, a group of photoelectric cells adapted to receive the bands of said spectrum to produce current impulses, said cells being'so constructed to fluctuate betweentheir minimum and maximum value of their electrical conductivity to produce said impulses of current, the maximum value of which will always be within small'limits of the same value, an equal. number of current relays in circuit-With-said photo-electric cells, a contact disk having a con tact connected with each of said relays, a synchronously revoluble contact arm, a microphone in circuit with said contact disk for converting the accompanying sound into current impulses, and means including said contact disk and said arm for successively transmitting said picture and said sound current impulses.

3. apparatus for the simultaneous reception of sound and scene transmitted in accordance ,with apparatus or claim 5 comprising means for receiving current impulses corresponding to said sound and scene, a group of electro-sensitive' colored light relays, a source of light adapted to direct rays of light through said relays,'means including a synchronously rotatable contact arm annonnsnu. 

